A 24-year-old farmer from Crabwood Creek, Upper Corentyne is in critical condition following an attack by a gang of seven men on Sunday.
Cheddi Eshwar Sawh, 24, of Lot 97 Grant 2767 Crabwood Creek, is presently in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital due to the severe head injuries he sustained during the attack.
According to a relative of the man, on Sunday night around 10.30, Sawh was leaving his girlfriend’s house, which is located in the vicinity of the Malali Area, in Crabwood Creek when a gang of seven men pounced on him. The relative said, an eyewitness told the family that the attack lasted for a couple minutes, after which the men made good their escape. However, Sawh was left with severe head injuries since the attackers mostly dealt him lashes in his head.
Tero Arjune, Sawh’s brother-in-law, told this newspaper, that on Sunday evening he was informed that Sawh was badly beaten and lying on the Crabwood Creek Public Road in an unconscious state. Arjune, who also resides in Crabwood Creek, noted that he could not believe it was Sawh. However, after venturing to the area, he confirmed that it was indeed his brother-in-law who had been beaten.
According to Arjune, he picked up the farmer and rushed him to the Skeldon Public Hospital. “About forty-five minutes after, dem transfer he to the New Amsterdam Hospital, then around 3.30 [a.m.], Monday morning, dem transfer he to the Georgetown Hospital,” noted Arjune.
He further relayed that while Sawh remains in critical condition at the city hospital, he has since regained movement in his hands, and also his feet.
Relatives of the farmer believe that it was a case of mistaken identity. According to one relative, four houses away from where the attack transpired, the Malali Rum Shop is located. The relative explained that on Saturday evening, a fight had ensued between several men who were at the time imbibing at the Malali Rum Shop. He said, “Saturday night them [the gang] and a boy did get a fight at the rum shop, one ah dem [from the gang] get beat up. So Sunday, he come back with he crew. When we check back, the boy dem fight with at the rum shop Saturday night and he [Sawh] look a lot alike. So like dem think is the boy and dem beat he up.”
However, Stabroek News was told that Sawh was also present at the Malali Rum shop, imbibing when the fight ensued on last Saturday evening. However, relatives are claiming that he was not involved in the fight.
Meanwhile, police have confirmed that on Monday, one person was placed under arrest at the Springlands Police Station.
This newspaper was told that eyewitnesses had provided relatives with the names of four of the perpetrators, who then passed the information on to investigators. “The people don’t know the other man them names, but they said if they see them back, they can identify them,” Sawh’s relative said. The family is puzzled as to why the police were only able to place one of the accused under arrest so far.
However, according to a police source, investigators are looking for the other accused, who eyewitnesses have since identified. The source noted that searches were carried out at the men’s home addresses on Monday, however, none of them was found.
The investigation is ongoing.
